The Cost of Being a Gladiator
by Prime627
Summary: The Pits of Kaon is home to gladiators and Crystal is settling well, learning how to survive in the conditions Megatron has put her and her friends in, and though there is no access to light, she still manages to find hope in the dark until it is taken away from her. /If I'm confusing you, apologies. This comes after "The Thirteen" and "Beginnings".


Optimus looked around the empty base, looking for any sign of Crystal. Her parents laid dead in their berths. According to Ratchet, they had been dead long before Optimus came to her. He could not believe how stupid he had been to let the femme stay here with no one to care for her and no she was gone.

"When our base was bombed, you were playing hide-and-seek with a sparkling?"

Optimus looked away, walking towards what he thought was her personal quarters. "I was and I have not been back since. I know now that I am responsible for my team and my team alone."

"What makes her so special?" Ratchet followed him, picking up a stuffed Predacon toy. He set it on a shelf, looking around the tiny room. A berth was against the far wall and Optimus sat down on it, grabbing another plush toy that had obviously been her favorite based on the wear and stains on it.

"She is Solus Prime," Optimus stated simply, looking up from the toy. "And she is missing."

Crystal yawned, stretching as she rolled over. "Steeljaw? I'm hungry."

"I know, sweetspark, but we have to preserve what Energon we have, okay? We can't just drink it whenever we want, you know."

"But I'll only have a little bit," she protested.

Metalfang snorted softly at her. "We will not risk you spilling it! We _need_ that Energon, kid. We won't die because you have clumsy digits!"

"Easy, Metalfang. She's just a baby," Steeljaw growled. He rubbed her helm, purring fondly. "She's a dear and you'll love her. Just give her a chance, grumps."

"We are in the Pits of Kaon going to die. How can I be cheerful and happy?"

Hardlock watched Crystal silently, flinching when the door to their chamber opened. "It's Megatron," he hissed.

The Decepticon lord walked down the aisle, looking into all the cages. "Who wants to fight for their food tonight? How about you, Steeljaw? You have become a favorite. Femmes and mechs are cheering for you."

Steeljaw looked away, his optics narrowing. "I do not wish to fight today, master," he whispered. He stretched out on his back, giving Megatron full view of his belly. "Please do not hurt me. I will fight whenever you want after tonight. I'll do whatever you want, I promise."

He relaxed when the Decepitcon leader walked by his cage only to stiffen when Megatron stopped in front of Crystal.

"How about you, little dear? Are you hungry?"

"Yes, Megatron. May I eat now? I'm really hungry. I haven't had a single cube all night and I really want one now. Why don't I get one every day? Have I been bad?"

Megatron growled, opening the door. "You are going to fight for your rations, do you understand me?" He grabbed her by her arm, jerking her to her pedes. "Let's go. You are going to meet one of my friends."

Though she dug her heels into the ground, Megatron still pulled her along into the arena. No 'bots or 'cons were in the stands, but an angry mech paced in the sandy arena. When he saw the sparkling, he lunged. Chains kept him still.

"I would like you to meet my dear friend, Dagger. He wants to eat, too, sparkling, but he's not eating at all either because he has to earn it."

Crystal watched the trembling mech, her own body starting to rattle. "I-I want to go back, Megatron. I don't want to be here anymore. He scares me."

"Fight him!"

Crystal screamed when the mech's chains were taken away. At first, the mech stayed where he was, rocking back and forth as he examined his surroundings. Then he was charging the small femme.

"Energon! Energon!" He bowled her over, shoving her up against the wall. He bit into her neck, puncturing an Energon vein. He licked up the Energon that bled out, holding her still though she screamed in pain.

"Stop it! Stop it! Megatron, help me! Steeljaw! Metalfang! Hardlock! Help!" She squirmed, sobbing quietly. She kicked and clawed at the mech. Suddenly the mech howled and backed away, holding a spot on his shoulder that she had clawed open. _I've clawed his old wound open!_

"Finish her!"

The mech roared and ran at her again, but Crystal slipped out from under him and took off running to the other side of the arena. Megatron watched before he knocked the mech aside, shoving Crystal into her cell.

"I will come back with your ration later," he growled.

Steeljaw watched the femme tremble. "Hey, you have some Energon on your digits! Lick them clean. Who knows when you get your reward. Treat yourself, sweetspark. Hurry before it dries and gets nasty."

Crystal hesitantly licked her digits clean, then she began to suck on them as she had when she was younger. Steeljaw purred as he watched, amused.

"That's a good girl. You're safe now. You'll only fight once per day since you're new, okay?" He reached through the bars, showing her more Energon on his digits. He let her lick the Energon off, purring softly.

Hardlock saw what Crystal was not able to: Steeljaw opening a vein to feed her. He watched in surprise as the mech continued to feed her his own Energon. "Let the youngling rest, Steeljaw. She deserves it."

Crystal yawned, nodding slowly as she purred. "Night-night." She laid down in the corner of her cell and the last thing she saw before she entered recharge was Steeljaw blowing her a kiss. She smiled, then her optics closed.

Hardlock watched as Steeljaw moved closer to her. "You cannot allow yourself to get too attached."

The mech ignored him and he watched Crystal recharge. Then he spoke. "It is too late. I love her."

Crystal opened her optics slowly, stretching as she rolled over. "Good morning, happy campers!"

Hardlock grumbled, but got up. He blinked one optic at her as Steeljaw stood up on his shaky legs. Metalfang crawled to the bars, watching the femme stand up.

"It's breakfast time," she chirped. She slit open her veins, letting Steeljaw lap up the trickling Energon. They were getting weaker and she could not allow them to get too weak, so they took turns feeding the others. Then they would go out and win their own ration, sharing it around as they could not finish a cube by themselves. It would make them sick and therefore, easy targets.

Metalfang accepted a drop of her Energon, shaking his helm when she insisted. "I can't let you continue doing this."

Her optics narrowed. "And I can't let you get sick and die, now drink the Energon, grumps."

Hardlock watched in amusement, purring loudly as he licked his lips clean. "She learns fast, doesn't she, Steeljaw?"

"That's my femme," the mech rumbled affectionately. He laughed quietly, purring when she came back to him. "You need new armor," he commented. Her breast plates and panel were the only things she had left. "You've really grown up like a weed."

"She's still short for her age," Hardlock reminded him."

Metalfang growled. "That's what happens when you spend your entire sparkling and youngling life in a cell. She's full grown now and she has not seen the sun since she arrived. This is no place for a femme like her."

"Well, I'm here now, so I better make the most of it. Speaking of which, check what I've been working on!" She walked to the pile of blankets she won from her fights, then pulled them all off, revealing a hole. "It's to get into Steeljaw's cell," she explained.

Steeljaw's optics widened, then softened as he purred. "I am impressed."

"Oh, just ask to bond with her all ready," Hardlock growled playfully. "You two are perfect for each other. Planning sparklings and a base of your own?" He teased them, knowing that they would never leave the Pits of Kaon alive or even together.

Crystal smiled, nodding. "Yep. Three to four sparklings, a base with a huge yard, and a pond!"

Steeljaw let her dream, purring quietly. "Yeah. That's going to be our base alright. You keep digging that hole, sweetspark, and maybe you can dig us all out and we'll live together, okay?"

"Okay!"

Steeljaw was dreaming of sparklings when he felt another body press against him. He woke immediately, gasping at Crystal who smiled up at him. "What are you _doing_ here!?"

She smiled more. "I finished the hole! We can get out of here soon and then we can have a family and a base and... You're not smiling..."

"You're not supposed to be here! What if you get caught? Then what?"

She frowned, then purred loudly. "We aren't guarded. Megatron goes home to the _Nemesis_ and he leaves us here because he's overconfident."

"How do you know that?"

She giggled. "The drones complain a lot when they clean up the arena." She nuzzled his neck, purring softly. "I love you, Steeljaw."

"I love you, too, Crystal," he said, pulling her closer against him. "You have to go back as soon as you wake up. I'll cover up the hole on my side."

"Okay," she yawned, curling up against his chest. "Good night."

"Good night, my love."

Crystal covered the hole on her side just as Megatron walked in. She blinked when the Decepticon lord walked to her cell and opened the door. "M-master...?"

"You will fight today for new armor. I see that your armor is getting small," he said, reaching down as he tugged on the metal plates. Crystal knew better than to fight back, so she let his digits explore under her plates. She gasped in pain when he pinched a tender spot and she bit her lip.

"Get away from her!" Steeljaw threw himself at the bars, snarling. "Don't touch her!"

Megatron smirked at him, turning back to the femme. "You like it, don't you?" He pulled his digits out of her breast plate and went to her panel. She screamed, but held still when Megatron raised his servo.

"Y-yes..."

The Decepticon leader pulled his servo away, examining the lubricants on his digits. "As I said, you are fighting today, but not for new armor. You will serve me well as you are now." He left the femme to tremble in her cell.

Steeljaw slipped through the hole and crawled to her. He gathered her into his arms, nuzzling her helm. "I'm here, I'm here."

"He-he touched me... I never want to be touched that way again!" She cried and cuddled into his chest.

Steeljaw watched her, sighing as he rubbed her back. "I understand..." He bit his lip, holding her as he had wanted to be her first for everything. Now he could not be that all because of Megatron.

Steeljaw watched Crystal come back from a fight, her body battered and broken. Her legs were crusted with Energon and he jumped at the bars. "Let me see the damage!"

She blinked sadly at him, exposing her bruised breasts. "Megatron didn't allow anything else. I'm a pleasure drone now," she said, forcing a smile. "Megatron said I should be grateful, that I'm one of the lucky ones. I don't have to fight anymore. I earn my ration by letting mechs and femmes touch and..." She shuddered.

Steeljaw slowly crawled through the hole he enlarged for them. He started carving a network of tunnels for the others. Soon it would be complete. He nuzzled Crystal, holding her as he examined her bruises. "What were they doing to you?"

"There were so many...that they fought...like hungry sparklings..." She cried softly as she held onto him. "I don't want to do anymore..."

"I know you don't, I know. We'll be out soon, okay? Just a little longer and then we can leave and never look back."

Optimus growled at Ironhide. "You did what?"

"I bought a pleasure drone for you. She's super cute. I thought you'd appreciate a little Prime-Time."

"Why would I do that? We are preparing for war. I will not have a pleasure drone in my berth. If anything, I will set her free of her bounds to her master."

The black mech shrugged, then walked out of the Prime's personal quarters. "She'll be here soon."

The Prime scowled, returning to his work. "I cannot believe you, Ironhide..."

"His quarters are over there, sweetspark. Ignore his rude comments. He's just a big fuzzy plush toy once you get to know him."

A femme in too-small armor walked in, her helm lowered. "Hello, Prime... I am told you requested me."

Optimus looked at her, blinking at the bruises on her body. "Sit on the berth. Are you thirsty?"

Her optics widened and she nodded eagerly. "Y-yes! I would love Energon!" She accepted the cube, drinking quickly. Some of it spilled down her front, staining her belly and seeping between her legs. "C-can I take some back with me? I-I have a mate and friends there."

"You have a mate?" He frowned at her. "Are you not a pleasure drone?"

"I am, but not willingly... Steeljaw was my mate before the choice was made for me. I live in the Pits of Kaon now ever since my parents gave me up."

Optimus sighed, slowly standing. "I am sorry that happened to you and I am sorry you came here for no reason. I must ask you to return to your master." He gave her a dagger and several cubes of Energon. "I will pray for you."

"Wh-what?" She set everything down, staring at him. "Bu-but Megatron is expecting to see my seal gone and-and some evidence that I pleased a mech. If I return with nothing, he will kill my friends and my mate!"

Optimus looked back at her, watching her tear up and cry silently. "I am sorry. I do not interface with femmes I do not love. Get Ironhide to frag you. He paid for you." He started to move toward the door.

She cried softly, hugging herself. "Am I bad?"

Optimus stopped walking away, looking slowly back at her. It sounded like a sparkling had spoken in her place. He saw now she was younger than he had originally thought and his optics widened. He walked back to her and lifted her face, shaking his helm. He looked down at her knee struts, gasping at the fimiliar scars. "It cannot be possible... Crystal?"

She gasped, looking up at him. "Optimus?" She wrapped her arms around his neck, crying happily. "I hardly recognised you! You've changed so much!"

"As have you, my dear. I am so glad to see you are whole." He held her close, burying his face into her neck. "I am sorry to see you this way," he sighed.

"I want to stay here forever. I don't want to go back," she cried. "But...Steeljaw..."

Optimus paused, starting to grin. "You said you were in the Pits of Kaon?"

Crystal ran to Steeljaw, purring as she dumped her load of cubes into her cell. "Steeljaw!" She peered into his cell, finding it empty. She turned to see Hardlock shaking his helm and her optics filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, but Steeljaw went to fight and he came back so wounded, Shockwave came and took him away."

"No! Not my Steeljaw! No!" She sobbed, holding herself as she bent over. Her helm touched the ground and she fell onto her side, curling into a ball. "He can't die," she whispered.

"He'll be fine, kiddo. He's been through worse. Steeljaw is too stubborn to go without a fight and without saying goodbye."

Crystal stored the Energon, only setting two out when Megatron came by. The Decepticon lord took one and let her have the other. She held the Energon in her mouth, spitting it back into the cube when he left her. She passed it around to her friends, then held herself as she waited for Steeljaw's return.

The sun rose and disappeared, mechs and femmes came and went, Hardlock and Metalfang disappeared and reappeared with cuts and sores, but Steeljaw remained missing. Crystal sat waiting in her cell, less of her there each time the drones appeared with half-cubes.

It seemed that she had lost her mate and her first friend once more as he had not shown up at all. She lowered her helm and closed her optics, blinking them open again to see Megatron rattling the bars.

"Get up. Someone's here to see you."

A purple armored mech with a single red optic scanned her, nodding slowly. "She will do just fine."

She barely fought as she was lifted out of her cell and she collapsed on the ground when Megatron set her on her pedes. She did not react when he kicked her side. She just closed her optics and willed the pain to stop.

She opened her optics to the sound of cooing. She gasped when she saw a silver and blue Predacon. "It can't be..."

It chirped, ruffling its wings. It paced in its cage, swinging its small helm back and forth. It stopped and sat down, blinking at her. She saw sorrow fill the blue orbs and she sighed. "I don't know what you want from me," she whispered.

She quickly found she was bound on a med-berth and she blinked at the new blue armor covering her body.

"I thought it was logical to get you covered up," the red-opticed mech said as he walked in. "I am Shockwave and Megatron is funding my experiments. You can see one in that cage. He was a gladiator before he was wounded. He was dead for two solar cycles before he came around. You are relatively healthy, so it would be illogical if you were to die like he had."

Crystal let her helm roll, her optics faltering. "I don't understand..."

"You are going to be special," he said. He brought a syringe close to her neck. "Bots are going to love you."

Her optics faded to black as stasis took hold of her. She dreamed of her parents, of Optimus, of Steeljaw, and of a beast that had her face.

"She should be awake by now. It's been a solar cycle."

"Patience is logical, my lord. She was weak when I injected her with the data. She will come around when she feels the time is right."

Crystal slowly cracked open an optic, groaning.

"She wakes," Megatron commented. He lifted her off the berth and carried her out of the lab.

She saw that the cage holding the silver and blue Predacon now stood empty before her optics closed once more.

Grit caused her to cough and she stood slowly, shaking herself. She found herself in the arena, bots cheering and howling. She could not focus on any one face and she shook herself again, rubbing her face with her digits...until she realized she had cut her nose...snout...open with her...talon?

AH! She roared, looking down at herself. She had massive paws and sharp talons. She spun around, squealing when she saw a tail and wings. Her forked glossa flicked out and slipped across her lips. Nononononono! No!

_Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!_

She looked to where a cell opened up and the Predacon she saw in the lab burst out, his optics narrowed. He drooled at the sight of her, then a gold and grey Predacon joined him. She spun around, coming faceplate-to-faceplate with a massive black and silver Predacon. It grinned down at her and Crystal buried her faceplates in her paws, recognition overwhelming her.

Steeljaw bowled into her first and the impact broke her wing. She howled in pain as Energon trickled to the gritty ground. The mechs fought over who lapped up the pool. _They are Energon-deprived!_

Hardlock spun around to see her scramble away. He pinned her down and bit into her neck, threatening to snap it. He shook her, roaring when Metalfang slammed into his side.

Crystal got up and bounded to the opposite side of the arena, curling into a ball where she cried in horror. The mechs tore into each other, Hardlock dropping Metalfang's lifeless body to circle Steeljaw.

She watched, helpless, as the mechs attacked. Steeljaw appeared to be the winner, until Hardlock swept his tail around and tipped the younger Predacon onto his back.

Steeljaw's optics unclouded and settled on Crystal. He offered one last grin to her before he went limp.

NO! She ran at Hardlock, slamming the mech into the wall. Why!? Why!? Why!? She battered the mech with her paws, opening up his sensitive protoform. Her optics clouded and her processor went blank. Her jaws wrapped around Hardlock's neck and she bit down hard.

It was over.

Metalfang, Steeljaw, and Hardlock laid in pools of Energon. Only Steeljaw had a smile, like always, on his faceplates. Crystal stood in the middle, her helm lowered. Megatron led her away, taking her to a seperate chamber.

"You fought well. You should be proud of yourself." He left her with more Energon than she had seen in more solar cycles than she dared count. She turned her back on her master and the life-fuel.

She could not find pride for what she had done. All she found was anger and hate towards herself and what she had become.

_Steeljaw is dead. Optimus is a no-show. Those who have promised to protect me have put me in the Pits. I am alone and I will remain that way._


End file.
